billy bragg

must i paint you a picture?

‘Billy Bragg, the UK’s premiere singer/songwriter, may be at the forefront of keeping old-time, folk-inspired music alive. To some, he is the Phil Ochs or Woody Guthrie of our generation. He is a man that has a political agenda that who is easy for the listener to accept. The British accent, the rugged good looks, the sweeping hooks and reeling melodies: they’re irresistible… well, maybe the looks aren’t necessary. If you’re into that kind of thing, what’s better than a tall Bloke who knows what he stands for and would die for his freedom to drink a cup of tea?

Most of Bragg’s best tunes are represented on the tracks of this three-disk compilation of his work. His catchier yet mainly political tracks such as “Help Save the Youth of America,” “Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards,” and “To Have And To Have Not” are all there. So are the screw-love, I-want-sex-and-kindness songs like “A New England,” and Woody Guthrie covers with Wilco like “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” that exponentially increased his notoriety.

This album is a must-have and a fitting compilation for one of the most prolific and underrated musicians of our time. Also, it is a simple way to collect some of his finest musical moments without spending a fortune on his entire catalogue.

As an added bonus, the third CD contains rarity tracks, most of which are cover songs. It brings the track total up to 50 songs, an astounding number of appealing tracks that can be topped by only a few bands – most of which also happen to be British, coincidentally.